Protected-process termination via unrestricted driver IOCTL
Published Jan 8, 2024 · Updated Jun 3, 2025
Improper access control in Topaz Antifraud wsftprm.sys 2.0.0.0 allows local users to terminate protected processes via an IOCTL. The driver device is accessible to any local user, and its device-control handler accepts a caller-supplied PID before opening that process with full access and terminating it. Low-privilege local access is sufficient to stop PPL-protected security processes such as Microsoft Defender, interrupting endpoint protection.
Summary
What happened
Improper access control in Topaz Antifraud wsftprm.sys 2.0.0.0 allows local users to terminate protected processes via an IOCTL. The driver device is accessible to any local user, and its device-control handler accepts a caller-supplied PID before opening that process with full access and terminating it. Low-privilege local access is sufficient to stop PPL-protected security processes such as Microsoft Defender, interrupting endpoint protection.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-52271
- Published
- Jan 8, 2024
- Updated
- Jun 3, 2025
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- T1562.001
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 8, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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What is affected?
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Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- TopazTerminatorfunctional · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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